2 Kings 5

I’ve always liked the story of Naaman. Maybe because I could relate to his skin condition somewhat. I have leprosy. No I don’t, but in college I had a break out of keloids on my chest, tons of them and I had to get them injected at the dermatologist for years. Keloids are just overhealed scar tissue, but I had tons of them on my chest and it looked unsightly. That’s the main reason why I got the large dragon tattoo on my chest, to cover up the scars, and also to look bad ass.

Anyways Naaman was this great general, rich, powerful, but he had leprosy. When he went to get healing, he scoffed because all he had to do was get naked and dip in the Jordan river. He expected more of a show, after all he was this important and powerful person.



Our church needs a lot of help. I was thinking lately of things that I can do to help our church. I guess in a way I was acting like Naaman, thinking that I needed to something grand, because I am so important. But I realized that the simple small things are just as important. Throwing away the garbage every Sunday, putting the chairs and table away after service, watching the kids, providing Sunday snacks. Those are the things that nobody gets recognized for doing but are so crucial to our Sunday service.

Attitude is important too. Lately I haven’t been getting much out of the messages, but whose fault is that? The biblical principles are sound. Maybe it’s my heart that is cold and unaccepting of the word. Maybe I am expecting some type of grand theatrical show, that gets me excited. I need to humble myself and reexamine the simple message of the gospel.

Second lesson for me, Gehazi, the poor servant of Elisha. He was only looking out for his and his Master’s own welfare. But Elisha rebuked him saying, “is this the time to be hoarding for ourselves!?” Dude got leprosy.

I have much, God has blessed me. But sometime I can get really petty like Gehazi. Recently we gave away two snap and go sets along with a stroller to our house cleaners. I remember thinking we should sell them on Craigslist instead, I bet we could get at least $100. I even suggested that we hold on to them and give them to our friends who might have babies in the future. I wasn’t really even thinking that, I just wanted to hold onto them.

How petty is that!? What are we gonna do with $100? Our friends wouldn’t even accept a used snap and go set. They of course would want to buy a new set of their own for their precious child. But I had people in front of me who would willingly and happily accept our used gear and I was hesitant to let it go. Luckily I have a better half, who helps me to see outside of myself sometimes.

Deuteronomy 31

"Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. 20 When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath." 22 So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

When they have eaten their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them. Recently I shared a testimony at my church about my Philippines trip. I stated that in comparison to the many poor people I visited in the Philippines, people in America, well at least the ones I see, don’t need God. We are self sufficient and thriving. We have all eaten our fill and continue to do so every day.

We have food to eat in plenty, warm clothes to wear, roof over our head, hot running water, comfortable bed, and we have an assortment of entertainment options at our disposal. What need do we have for God!?

God said he knows his people, when they have enough they become complacent and lazy. “I know what they are disposed to do”, he says. The Israelites when lost and wondering in the desert relied on God and called out to him for their needs. For manna when they were hungry, water from rocks when they were thirsty, for direction when they were lost. But as soon as they reach the Promised Land, a place flowing with milk and honey, they turn to other gods.

The story of the Israelites wandering in the desert is an allegory of us today. We may not turn to actual physical idols, but instead we turn to sexual immorality, laziness, hoarding of wealth, accomplishments, drugs, you name them.

Even good things can become idols of worship in our lives. Our own children, they are such a sweet, rich blessing, but when parents start to live their own lives through their kids and start putting unrealistic expectations on them, twisting them with their own pathologies, then that sweet blessing can become tainted.

Stupid Oven!

I have been getting angry at inanimate objects lately.

The other day I was cooking a Boboli pizza and the door of my oven would not unlock. I kept pushing the button frantically. I turned the oven off but my pizza began to burn, so I became even more frantic. I started to go blood frenzy on the damn oven and started to shake the hell out of it. Stuff started falling off of it but the door still would not open.

I was seconds away from grabbing our frying pan and smashing the hell out of our 1980’s oven. But my fear of Mary’s reaction when she got home stopped me. I started to yell in frustration, calling the oven some pretty harsh expletives. Christian immediately began scolding me, “Stop that right now!”

Finally after much anguish the door latch buzzed open. By this time I was exhausted, and our dinner was burnt. Well the bottom part was, we scraped off the top part and still ate it for dinner. Stupid oven!

Blanky

Today was the first day at school without his blanket. Apparently Christian threw a tantrum recently at school because of his blanket and we were advised that it be better that the blanket stay at home. Last night I told Christian that he couldn’t bring his blanket to school and he said, “Alright”, almost as if he expected it.

He loves that blanket. It’s funny to me because I used to read Peanuts and I remember Linus and his blanket, but for some reason I didn’t think it was a real thing. I guess it’s because I couldn’t relate, I never had a security anything. I sure could have used one growing up though.

Christian is just like Linus. He carries that thing around with him everywhere he goes. In the Peanuts cartoon Linus is traumatized every time his blanket has to be washed. Christian is just like that, he doesn’t want us to take it away from him to be cleaned. Sometimes he has to go to sleep without it because it is still being dried, and we have to give him one of Aiden’s blankets to soothe him. He reluctantly accepts the counterfeit. When he gets his blanket back from the dryer he always throws out an exuberant, “Yay!” and welcomes his blanket back with a joyful hug.

Most of the time he doesn’t even hold it, he just like the comfort of knowing it’s there. I hope he’s ok at school. Poor thing. This morning he was whimpering on his way to class, “I want my blanky.” It was so sad.

Hello Post

Hello Post it's been a long time.

Just wanted to free flow. What has been going on in my life, well a lot actually. I just got back from an amazing trip from the Philippines where I got to experience poverty up close. Not only was I able to experience poverty but I got to see God's people doing something about it. I believe God can end poverty. But for some unknown reason beyond you and me, he wants to include us in His great work.

It was my first mission trip of any kind. In college I avoided mission trips, not sure why. Maybe because I never wanted to be sent permanently. But now I am hooked. Send me on another mission trip soon. It's just amazing being in God's presence and his work all day every day. We had a missionary from China come speak at our church recently, he is looking for short term missionaries , I immediately wanted to go. We are having a meeting with him this Wed to discuss.

I hate crying, but I have been crying a lot lately. I cried when I gave my Philippines presentation, I cried last Sunday after the missionary shared his testimony about China. Not really sure what is going on, I think it is God stirring my cold, cold heart.

The devil is real, I truly believe that. As soon as I came back from the Philippines, I was kind of on this spiritual high. The devil hates that and I believe that he tried his best to bring havoc and mayhem into my life as quickly as he could so I would stop being joyful. It worked. But through God's grace I feel like I came out it stronger and I think maybe my family did too.

I met a woman in the Philippines named Nelly. For some reason I love that name. I was seated next to her on both plane rides over to the Philippines. We got to talking and I found out she sponsored like 10 children over her life. This trip to the Philippines was her 5th! During our conversation I kept thinking what a strong wonderful woman. I immediately wrote down in my journal, that I bet I could bench press over 5 times what she could, but the strength of her spirit dwarfed mine.

We became pretty close on the trip though she didn't speak much, I don't either for that matter. But I shared about her during our wrap up session and I shared about her at church a couple weeks ago when I gave my testimony. But I left out the most important part.

During one of the days over there Nelly asked me how many people she thought were on that plane where we were seated next to each other on. I said, “I don't know 700”?

Then she said, “Do you think it was a coincidence we were seated next to each other?” I guess I didn't give it much thought.

Before we went on the trip to the Philippines, the group that was going shared some exchanges over email. I wrote about how I was worried about the heat in the Philippines since it’s my kryptonite, then I wrote something pretty poignant, I said even though I am always physically hot, I am spiritually cold and have been struggling spiritually for awhile now. Nelly said since she read that email God put it on her heart to pray for me every day. And she did, during her walks she would pray for this stranger from across the country she didn't even know.

I was blown away, still am. I am convinced that her prayers helped me meet and experience God all the more during my time in the Philippines. She and I still exchange emails periodically. She emailed me today and said that she still prays for me every day. What a wonderful woman! Mary and I call her the grandmother we never had. I hope we can visit her one day in Florida. She worked for Disney World and offered to be our tour guide. How much would the kids love that! God bless you Nelly! You bring tears to this cold hearted man’s eye.

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My Favorite Foods (in no particular order)

-Togos #9 Hot pastrami
-Porterhouse steak at Claimjumpers
-Seafood alfredo at Olive Garden
-Maguro and Sake sashimi from Japanese market eaten with hot rice and lot's of soysauce and wasabi
-Mary's Gori Gomtang (oxtail soup)
-Mary's Spaghetti
-Hot links from Top Dog
-Spicy pork over rice at Steve's Barbeque (Berkeley)
-Fat Slice Pizza cheese/pepperoni (Berkeley)
-Vietnamese sandwiches from Banh Mi (El Cerrito)
-Cheeseburger and fries from Big Al's (El Cerrito)
-Big Mac and filet o fish sandwiches from McD's chicken nuggets too
-Carnitas plate from Gordos with extra jalapenos
-Vermicelli noodles with porkchops and spring rolls from Huong Tra (El Cerrito)
-Bul go gi (Korean bbq) sandwich from Espresso Experience (Berkeley)
-Fried Chicken sandwich from Bakesale Bettys (Oakland)
-Shrimp (any)
-Spicy scallop rolls from Ichiro's (Oakland)
-Super Burrito Famoso from La Pinata (Alameda)
-Dok Bosom from Shik Do Rak (Anaheim)